Sand pump plunger



April 21, 1953 K. W. HALEY SAND PUMP PLUNGER Filed Sept 21, 1950 INVENTOR.

Patented Apr. 21, 1953 UNITED STAT PAT OF FICE SAND PUMP PEUNGER) Kenneth W- Haley, Tulsa," Okla.

Application September 21, 1950, Serial; No. 186,020

'7 Claims;

This invention relates to pumpplungers' and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to pump plungers for use in pumping fluid containing abrasive foreign matter such as sand and the like.

It is well known to thoseskilled in the art that the presence of sand in the production fluid of an oil well greatly reduces the eflicien'cy of the oil well pump. During operationof the usual sucker rod pump, a small portion of the sand. will invariably be worked in between the pump plunger and the walls of the cylinder. Obviously, the sand will wear the plunger, as well as the cylinder Wall, to increase the clearance between the plunger and cylinder and consequently decrease the emciency of the pump One of the well known Ways of reducing. the abrasive action of the sand is to provide one or more circumferential grooves in the pump plunger adjacent the upper end thereof to catch the sand as.v it is worked downwardly along. the oute periphery of the plunger. However, this type of plunger is designed and constructed with the purpose of preventing the entrance ofsand between plunger and the walls of'the pump cylinder, with. the secondary purpose of trapping the sand. as

soon as possible to prevent abrasion of the entire plunger. It will, however, be readily seen. that as the sand is being worked down along the plunger to the first groove, theupper end of the plunger will become worn, causing. a substantial portion ofi the cylinder to become worn due the lengthof the stroke ofthepl'unger therein, there by increasing the clearance between the plunger and cylinder with a consequent decrease in the efliciency of. the pump.

The present invention contemplates a novelpump plunger. principally for use in pumpingfluid.

having a relatively high sand content. The sand depositing on the top of the plunger is induced to new downwardly along the plunger in confined paths and returned to the interior of the plunger during. the upstroke thereof. Suitable grooves are.

provided in. the outer periphery of. the plunger communicating with the upper endof the plunger to permit movement of the sand in such a manner. that. neither the plunger nor the cylinder will become worn.

An important object of this invention is toprovide a pump plunger particularly adapted for use.

in pumpin fluids having abrasive foreign matter therein.

Another object of'this-invention is to provide. a pump plunger. whereby the sand deposited on the top of. the plunger will betransferredtothe interior of the plunger on the upstroke thereof;

A further object of this invention is to reduce" abrasion in sucker rod well pumps to a minimum.

A still further object of thi invention is to:-

provide an efiicient pump plunger having a long service life and which may be economically manufactured. f

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description, read in" conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the preferred form of my ump-plunger, partiall in section for clarity.

Figure 2 is adiagrammatic view' of the upper portion of 'the plunger shown in Figure 1 illustrating the plunger evolved intoa flat plate;

Figure 3 is an elevational view'of theupper portion of a modified pump plunger partially insec ti'on.

Referring to the drawings indetail, and particularly Figure 1, reference character 2' designates av cylindrical pump plunger having a longitudinal bore 3 therethrough. The plunger'2 is'adapted to be reciprocated in an oil well pump cylinder (not shown) by suitable surface equipment (not shown) through the medium of sucker'rods 4. The rods 4' are connected to the plunger 2 by a valve cage 6 having a ball valve 8 therein. The valve cage 6 is threadedly secured to the plunger 2,, and the ball valve. 8 seats" in the upper-end. of the plunger bore 3' in the usual manner: A suitable valve cage HJ havinga traveling valve (not shown) disposed therein is threadedly secured to the lower'end' 12 of the plunger 2. The plunger 2 may be. provided with a plurality of vertically spaced circumferential grooves I 4, or suitable cups (not shown) in the usual manner;

A plurality'of vertically spaced circumferential grooves 16$ are provided in theouter periphery of theplunger 2. adjacent the upper end I8 thereof. Aplurality of vertical grooves 20 (see also Fig, 2). are provided; in the plunger 2 to establish communication between the upper end f8 thereofand' the uppermost circumferential groove It. A plurality of vertical grooves 22 are alsov provided to establish communication between the lower adjacent grooves l6. It will be noted that the grooves 2i] and 22 are vertically offset. approximately ninety degrees for purposes as will be hereinafter set forth. The grooves 20' and 22 need'not be. vertical as shown, but may be angled or curved if. desired. As clearly shown in Fig. 2,.an aperture 24 isprovid'ed'i'n the uppermost annular'g'roove I'B' 5 cent' vertical groove 22. The apertures 24' communicate with the bore 3 of the plunger 2. A series of aperture 26, also communicating with the bore 3 of the plunger 2 are provided in a similar manner in the remaining circumferential grooves [6.

Operation ing valve (not shown) seats in the cag l0. During the upstroke, the plunger 2 forces the production fluid upwardly into the production column (not shown) and hence to the surface of the well.

It is readily seen that any sand that may be precipitated from the well fluid disposed above the plunger 2 will tend to accumulate on the top [8 of the plunger. However, during the upstroke of the plunger 2 an infinitesimal amount of the well fluid will flow through the grooves 23 to carry the precipitated sand downwardly into the uppermost circumferential groove It. The well fluid in flowing through the uppermost groove It, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 2, must obviously pass over at least one of the apertures 24, and in doing so a portion of the well fluid-as well as a portion of the sand being washed thereby, will flow back into the bore 3 of the plunger 2. The remaining well fluid in the upper groove 13 will flow through the grooves 22 and lower grooves 16. As the fluid flows through a middle groove 16 a portion of the fluid will flow through the upper row of apertures 26 into the plunger bore 3. The fluid reaching a lowermost groove 16 will readily flow through the lower row of apertures 26 into the plunger bore 3, since the pressure in the plunger bore will offer less resistance to the flow than the minute clearance between the plunger 2 and the pump cylinder. The sand precipitating onto the upper end l3 of the plunger 2 will therefore be eflicientl washed or returned to the plunger bore 3 and will not be worked into the space between the plunger 2 and the pump cylinder to wear the plunger and cylinder.

Referring to Fig. 3, reference character28 indicates a modified pump plunger having a longitudinal bore 33 therethrough. Suitable upper and lower traveling valves (not shown) are provided on the plunger .28 in the same manner as on the plunger 2. In addition, suitable grooves or cups (not shown) are provided in the outer periphery of the plunger 28. A portion 32 of the plunger 28 communicating with the upper end 34 thereof has a slightly smaller diameter than the remaining portion of the plunger. A plurality of circumferentially spaced transverse apertures 36 are provided in the plunger 28 adjacent the lower end of the reduced portion 32 and communicate with the plunger bore 30.

The plunger 28 is adapted to be operated in a pump cylinder (not shown) in the same manner as the plunger 2. During the downstroke of the plunger 28, well fluid will be transferred from below the plunger 28 through the plunger bore 33 to a position above the plunger 28. On the upstroke of the plunger 28, sand, or other abrasive foreign matter, tending to precipitate on the upper end 34 of the plunger 28 will be washed down' wardly over the outer surface of the reduced portion 32 and through the apertures 36 back into the plunger bore by a small portion of the Well fluid. The clearance between the reduced portion 32 and the pump cylinder (not shown) should be of sufficient magnitude to allow passage of the largest abrasive foreign matter encountered from above the plunger 28 into the apertures 33. Therefore, during operation of the plunger 28 all of the abrasive foreign matter tending to accumulate on the upper end 34 thereof will be returned to the plunger bore 30, and

' will not be Worked into the minute clearance provided between the main body portion of the plunger 28 and the walls of the pump cylinder.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the present invention provides an efficient and practical pump plunger particularly adapted for use in pumping fluids containing abrasive foreign matter. Sand attempting to accumulate on the top of the plunger is washed downwardly in confined paths and back into the plunger bore to reduce abrasion of the plunger and pump cylina plurality of grooves providing communication Y between the circumferential grooves and the upper end of the body to provide for passage of der to a minimum. The plunger will obviously have a long service life and be economically manufactured.

Changes may be made in the combinationand. arrangement of parts as heretofore set forth in the specification and shown in the drawings, it being understood that any modification in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a pump plunger comprising a cylindrically shaped body, a longitudinal bore through the body, a plurality of vertically spaced circumferential grooves in the outer periphery of the body,

fluid and abrasive foreign matter from above the body to the circumferential grooves, and a plurality of apertures in each of the circumferential grooves to provide for passage of the fluid and foreign matter into the longitudinal bore.

2. In a pump plunger for pumping sandy fluids comprising a tubular body, a circumferential groove in the outer periphery of the body adjacent the upper end thereof, a second groove in the body providing communication between the upper end of the body and the circumferential groove to induce the passage of sand deposited on the top of the body into the circumferential groove, and a plurality of apertures in the circumferential groove to provide for passage of i the sand into the body.

3. In a pump plunger for pumping sandy fluids comprising a tubular body, a pair of vertically spaced circumferential grooves in the into the circumferential grooves, and a plurality of apertures in each circumferential groove to grgvide for passage of the sand inwardly into the o y.

4. In a pump plunger for pumping sandy fluids comprising a tubular body, a pair of vertically spaced circumferential grooves in the outer periphery of the body, essentially vertical grooves interconnecting the upper circumferential groove with the top surface of the body to induce the washing of sand deposited on the top of the body into the upper circumferential groove, a pair of apertures in the upper circumferential groove adjacent the lower end of each of said vertical grooves to allow passage of a portion of the sand inwardly into the body, a second set of essentially vertical grooves interconnecting the circumferential grooves and vertically offset from the first mentioned vertical grooves providing passageways for the remaining sand to the lower circumferential groove, and apertures in the lower circumferential groove providing passageways for the remaining sand into the body.

5. In a pump plunger for use in pumping sandy fluids comprising a tubular body, a plurality of vertically spaced circumferential grooves in the outer periphery of the body, a, plurality of essentially vertical grooves interconnecting the circumferential grooves and providing passageways for sand from the top surface of the body to the circumferential grooves, and a plurality of apertures in each circumferential groove providing passageways for the sand into the body so constructed and arranged to be in the path of the sand when moving through the circumferential grooves.

6. In a pump plunger for use in pumping sandy fluids comprising a tubular body, a plurality of 30 vertically spaced circumferential grooves in the outer periphery of the body, a plurality of essentially vertical grooves interconnecting the circumferential grooves and providing passageways for sand from the top surface of the body tothe circumferential grooves, a plurality of apertures in each circumferential groove providing passageways for the sand into the body so constructed and arranged to be in the path of the sand when moving through the circumferential grooves, and a traveling valve carried by the body.

7. In a pump plunger comprising a cylindrical body having upper and lower end faces, a plurality of longitudinally spaced circumferential grooves in the outer surface of the body, a plurality of apertures in one of the end circumferential grooves, and a groove in the outer surface of the body providing communication between said end circumferential groove and the adjacent end face of the body.

KENNETH W. HALEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,588,705 Cope et a1. June 15, 1926 1,703,354 Nevill Feb. 26, 1929 2,061,060 Carlson Nov. 17, 1936 2,074,591 Rood Mar. 23, 1937 

